Grammar Methods and Presentation: How Should Grammar Be Taught?

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TESL 0110
Unit 2 Reflection

Grammar Methods:
I don't necessarily think that there is a right or wrong answer to this question, and as I read the history of methods presented in Thornbury's Grammar and methods, I saw that a variety of methods have, and still exist. I found it fascinating to read through the evolution of methods and to see how current beliefs and practices actually incorporate elements from many of the methods of the past. 
Learning a second language, and "picking it up" through immersion and repeated exposure, as in the Direct Method and the Natural Approach, are based on Noam Chomsky's belief that we have an "innate capacity" to learn languages. According to these methods, it is not necessary to explicitly teach grammar; we will acquire grammatical knowledge in a natural and automatic way, just as we did as children when we learned our first language. Deep-end Communicative Language Teaching was rooted in similar ideas. It also omitted the inclusion of grammar rules and focused on task completion.  I would group these methods closer to the zero-grammar end of the spectrum.
Grammar Translation, and what was referred to as Shallow-end Communicative Language Teaching, had grammar as the foundation or basis of their program. The rules of grammar were more explicitly taught and practiced through examples, exercises or functions. These methods incorporated the use and explanation of grammar terminology. These methods would be found at the heavy-grammar end of the spectrum.
Task-based learning, Focus on Form, and the idea of consciousness-raising seem to me to be in the middle of the spectrum and combine the best of both worlds. They include bringing the grammatical forms to the attention of the students so that students can notice, understand and remember them, but focus primarily on communicative tasks.  
One particular statement from Thornbury that really struck me was, "communicative competence is best achieved through communicating, through making meanings, and . . . grammar is a way of tidying these meanings up." (p. 25). This seems to sum up my (current) philosophy of teaching grammar. I think it is best to teach grammar through an integrated approach, within the context of a communicative task. This reading strengthened my belief in teaching grammar in this manner.



Presentation of Grammar
There are two contrasting ways in which grammar can be presented to students in a language classroom. In the Deductive Approach, a learner is presented with a grammatical rule with examples and then applies that rule in practice exercises that are often very structured and mechanical. It is a teacher-centered approach with the teacher as the knowledge-giver. The Inductive Approach, on the other hand, invites students to explore and speculate on a structure in context. Students are given the opportunity to notice or identify grammatical rules in more of a discovery approach. This approach is student-centered with the teacher as a facilitator or guide. 
Both the deductive and inductive approach have their pros and cons and can be used for students of different ages and types. Ideally I would choose to use a mix of the two, without ruling out one approach entirely. There are multiple factors to consider when selecting the best teaching and learning method for our students.: The language needs of the students, their goals, their learning styles, the type of class, and the topic of the lesson are some of the things that a teacher should take into consideration before selecting the method of instruction.
Given a choice, I would use a combination of methods. Students need to have a purpose for learning grammar and should then be able to apply it in a realistic context. I like to think of grammar teaching as a mini-lesson within the larger frame of an integrated skills lesson.  I believe that transfer is one of the most important principles of language instruction. As their teachers, we need to help students see and make meaningful connections. We need to help them connect what they are learning now to their background knowledge, to what they have previously learned, and to other skill areas. In this format, students are more likely to internalize and transfer the information, resulting in deeper learning.
References:
Thornbury, S. (1999). How to teach grammar, Chapter 2: Why teach grammar? pp. 21-27. Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Sikorzynska, A. (1995). Discover it yourself (pp. 8-9 & pp. 82-85). Wydawnictiwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne.

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